Lincoln Stitchers: Welcome

Lincoln Stitchers: Welcome

This is a great blog I have just found while looking for local quilting groups. The blog "was set up for members of Lincoln Bailgate Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild, but is for all stitchers in the Lincoln area." Even if you aren't anywhere near Lincoln there's plenty here to interest you and photos of some great projects. Enjoy!

Easy, accurate borders

After a while in the garden - boy do those weeds grow quickly at this time of year - I got to the sewing machine at about five this evening.

I'm not very good at reading patterns and instructions, I'm more a 'make it up as you go along' sort of quilter. I'm sure I sometimes make things more difficult than they need to be and cause myself unnecessary problems. Today, though, I read some instructions and am so over the moon with the results that I thought I'd share it for all you others who may not work 'by the book'!

I'm working on the Takusan Tsugi quilt from the current issue of Fabrications Quilting for You, a simple square on point design with black sashing to show off Japanese fabrics. Here's what I read:

TIP Whenever you add borders to a quilt always measure across the centre of the quilt to establish the true size of the borders to be added. Measuring the sides or just sewing on the borders will invariably result in a wavy edge!

Then the instructions say, "...make it fit by easing if necessary."

I'm sure most of you are more than au fait with working like this but if passing on this tip helps one quilter I'll be happy. Please let me know how you get on.

Those Little Boxes

Well today started nicely and I got a lot of vegetables planted in the garden, then the rain started. All my little seeds are getting well watered in and I've spent the afternoon starting to piece a quilt using lovely Japanese fabrics. It's a straightforward design featured in the current (59) issue of Fabrications Quilting for You. I did all the cutting at the weekend and my beloved has just come in and asked why I cut all the fabric into pieces and am now having to sew it all back together again!

Here's a picture of the box I made at Val Lett's workshop last week (with dragonflies)

and also of one I made with her previously (with butterflies).

I love the way they show the gorgeous fabrics off - and most designs can be made using less then a fat quarter of the patterned fabric and about the same of the plain.

Little Boxes

Good morning from a beautifully sunny Lincolnshire.

I went on a great fabric box course yesterday with tutor Val Letts. I made a hexagonal box with a hinged lid which I'm really pleased with, it shows off the fabric really well too. At the moment it is under a heavy weight while everything dries and settles so photo to follow.

The box is not really quilting but my intention is to make another box of the same design but use a folded star patchwork design on the lid - watch this space!

I'm off to Norfolk this morning - to make the most of the weather and get some cutting out done. I'm taking a lovely pile of Japanese fabrics and also the fabrics for a Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt for my gorgeous grandson.

Have a lovely weekend, enjoy the sunshine if it comes your way - I saw a swallow yesterday so it's nearly summer :)

Quilting Groups

Thank you for all your lovely comments - both about my quilt and about blogging, it is really encouraging.

The internet seems a great way to share our great passion for quilts and the online festival has certainly brought a lot of quilters together.

There are lots of online groups too, I belong to British Quilt List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BQL/

which is a very active group and has an exciting monthly challenge. I joined recently and wasn't too impressed with my first challenge quiltlet on a handbags theme- tried to do too much but learned to KISS (keep it simple sweetheart) - but it's great to see everybody else's interpretations of the challenge.

I also belong to the KiwiQuilters

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kiwiquilters/

where all the talk at the moment is of the Symposium, the New Zealand quilt show which was held in Wellington this year.

At present I'm learning what I like to do in quilting and what I'm not so keen on. I really enjoyed the foundation piecing process for the BQL challenge but wasn't so keen on the applique aspects!!

Online Quilt Festival

This is the link to the online quilt festival - should have included it in my first blog!

http://parkcitygirl.blogspot.com/2009/04/quilt-festival-spring-2009.html

Norfolk Quilt

Well, what a fantastic idea an online quilting festival is and I'm really enjoying looking at all the exhibits.

This is my first foray into blogging so please excuse any errors - that applies to my quilting too but it's all about enjoyment and learning.

The quilt I am exhibiting is entitled "Norfolk" and was my first attempt at a quilt using blocks. I chose the fabrics to reflect the colours of the North Sea - from steely grey to turquoise blue depending on the weather and the tide. The blocks all have a link with the county of Norfolk: Old Windmill, Nelson's Victory, Bird In The Air and Sailboat. The quilt was backed with a brushed cotton fabric to make it a cosy lap cover for those chilly evenings by the sea.

As well as being a novice blogger I'm very young in quilting years but after trying lots of crafts have found it is the thing for me. I love everything about it, getting the ideas and pondering them, design, finding the right fabrics, threads etc, cutting, sewing, quilting....all of those in almost any order...and finally, after a bit of self-criticism, enjoying what I have created.